Altruism, empathy and medical professionalism

Altruistic tendencies and empathy, in most cases, are inherent in medical practice. Health professionals show these behaviors when they seek the well-being of the patient regardless of the personal cost they may suffer;the case of the provision of medical services in the health crisis caused by SARS-CoV-2, despite the risks, is a clear example of this. For decades there have been efforts to strengthen medical professionalism and the importance of humanistic behaviors. This paper addresses implications of altruism, empathy and professionalism in medical practice, key aspects in training of human resources in health.